Renewed appeal for missing couple

Gardaí have renewed their appeal for information for missing couple, believed dead, who previously lived in the Cavan area.

William Maughan and Anna Varslavane disappeared eight years ago. When last seen, they were living between Balbriggan, Co Dublin and Gormanston in Co Meath.

Mr Maughan was 34 years old at the time of his disappearance. He is described as being 5' 8” in height, of athletic build, with shaved head and green eyes. It is not known what he was wearing when last seen. He was known to frequent Balbriggan, Stamullen and Gormanston areas.

Also reported missing is his then pregnant girlfriend, Ms Varslavane (20), of Latvian origin, but who had been living in Ireland for a number of years prior to her disappearance.

Known as Anna, she is described as being 5’6” in height, of slim build, with long dark hair.

Anna was also known to frequent Balbriggan, Stamullen and Gormanston areas, and was last known to be in the company of Mr Maughan.

They were last seen in the Gormanston area on Tuesday, April 14, 2015, between 2-3pm.

They had been living together in Gormanston, and were on their way to meet Mr Maughan's mother to get a lift to Tallaght when the pair went missing.

It has been reported previously that, on April 14, Anna rang Mr Maughan's mother at 2:57pm. One of her sons answered and could hear Ms Varslavane calling for help. Ten minutes later Mr Maughan’s family arrived at the agreed pickup point but neither he nor Ms Varslavane were there.

The investigation into the couple’s disappearance is being led out of Ashbourne Garda Station.

One line of enquiry is that the couple may have been murdered on orders from a person previously heavily involved in the Drogheda feud.

Mr Maughan’s parents have made their own respective appeals for information.

In 2017, gardaí examined a site in Louth as part of their investigation into the couple's disappearance.

In April 2020, a man in his 50s was arrested and held at Ashbourne Garda station. It was the first arrest in the disappearance probe.

Three months later three men, aged in their twenties, fifties and sixties, and also a woman aged in her forties, were arrested and quizzed at Garda stations in Meath and Dublin. At the same time a search took place at a compound in Meath. All arrested were subsequently released without charge and a file was sent to the DPP.

Last year, in an affidavit filed with the High Court as part of a Criminal Assets Bureau case, a Garda Detective Inspector expressed his belief that the missing persons were the victims of a "double murder".

“Both William and Anastasija were last seen alive at a property belonging to [Cornelius] Price.”

A notorious criminal and a key suspect in several murders and disappearances, Mr Price (41) died in hospital in the UK on February 19, 2023.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Ashbourne Garda Station on 01-8010600 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666-111.